I believe the GPS runs in two modes. One is continuous and can be used by applications and that can be turned off. However, there is a part of it - a locate on demand - that cannot be turned off (at least in this country). This is not battery draining because as soon as the location is gathered, the GPS sub-system is powered down again.

@Dan had the same thought, why have mandatory GPS while the user has the option of turning it off, unless someone finds a way to conveniently save power and still keep the GS on without draining the battery

the question about mandatory GPS in mobile phones is that most people turn off features to extend battery life. I turn off GPS, WiFi and BlueTooth. That seems to defeat the GPS locating feature unless it can be remotely enabled?

I flip-flop on the security issue. There are times when I think cool - so much information sharing would be wonderful and then I think about how that informationm could be used maliciously and I get scared.

Yes, with a landline, your address is known. With a cellphne you could be anywhere. Just knowing what tower you are connected to is not enough. IT must be able to provide a location to within a certain level of accuracy.

I think it's important to let people make their own risk/reward analysis before participating in RFID tagging programs. It will lead to less effective systems, but hopefully maintains some personal liberties. As an engineer, I'm willing to accept a less effective system to maintain some privacy and choice. Think of privacy as being a design input.

Do you think that everione will just adopt 802.15.4, instead of going with something as a highr stack like zigbee, do their own meshing and a gateway to access the rest of other vendors smart devices in a loose way?

privacy is so difficuilt to measure or decide on. Who gets the information, do you trust them, the potential good or harm from using the information. The comfort level even changes over time and the information can't be recalled.

I am not the fastest typist in the world so I am sorry if I miss any of your questions. I will go over the message log after the event has finished to see if there were questions that I missed or could have answered more fully.

I work in the medical device field, surgical systems mostly. Our communication and camera devices are mostly digital, but the instruments we develop that actually perform the work in surgery are analog. We have several devices that communicate with each other, sense patient data, and are connected to our own specific network.

Software systems architect that continues to need more and more interaction with "the edge" for competitive advantages. Finding a strong desire to understand the hardware more so as to make intelligent decisions.

Yes, the weather is a kick in the butt in these parts, no doubt but not as bad as that famous general Phil Sheridan quote would have it, who, after a campaign in Texas was asked if he like the country, he is reputed to have said: "If I was to be given Texas, I'd live in hell and rent out Texas!"

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In conjunction with unveiling of EE Times’ Silicon 60 list, journalist & Silicon 60 researcher Peter Clarke hosts a conversation on startups in the electronics industry. One of Silicon Valley's great contributions to the world has been the demonstration of how the application of entrepreneurship and venture capital to electronics and semiconductor hardware can create wealth with developments in semiconductors, displays, design automation, MEMS and across the breadth of hardware developments. But in recent years concerns have been raised that traditional venture capital has turned its back on hardware-related startups in favor of software and Internet applications and services. Panelists from incubators join Peter Clarke in debate.